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Retrospective: From Beyond The Grave (1974)

25 Tuesday Jun 2024

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From Beyond the Grave (1974) is an anthology horror film produced by Amicus Productions and directed by Kevin Connor. It features a series of macabre tales linked by an antique shop run by Peter Cushing’s enigmatic proprietor. While the film showcases the hallmark traits of Amicus’s anthology style and benefits from Milton Subotsky’s vision, it falls short of achieving the lasting impact of some of its predecessors. This retrospective review will examine the film’s place in the horror anthology subgenre, the effective production work of Amicus Productions, and the influence of producer Milton Subotsky.

Horror anthologies have a unique appeal, offering audiences multiple stories within a single film. From Beyond the Grave adheres to this format, presenting four distinct tales of supernatural and psychological horror. Each segment explores different themes and horror elements, ranging from cursed objects to malevolent spirits. This variety can be a double-edged sword: while it provides a diverse viewing experience, it can also lead to uneven storytelling and inconsistent scares.

In the context of horror anthologies, From Beyond the Grave stands as a competent but not groundbreaking example. The segments vary in quality, with some delivering genuine chills and others feeling formulaic. The anthology format allows for a quick pace and frequent shifts in tone, but this also prevents any single story from achieving the depth and development of a standalone feature. Compared to earlier Amicus anthologies like Tales from the Crypt (1972), From Beyond the Grave lacks the same level of memorable horror moments and narrative cohesion.

Amicus Productions, known for its series of horror anthologies throughout the 1960s and 1970s, brings its trademark style to From Beyond the Grave. The film benefits from high production values, with well-designed sets, atmospheric cinematography, and effective use of practical effects. The antique shop setting serves as a compelling and eerie backdrop, providing a unifying thread for the disparate stories.

The film features a strong cast, including horror veterans such as Peter Cushing, David Warner, and Donald Pleasence. Their performances add gravitas and credibility to the stories, even when the scripts fall into predictable territory. Cushing, in particular, excels as the mysterious shopkeeper, imbuing the character with a sinister charm that anchors the film.

Despite these strengths, the production occasionally feels constrained by budgetary limitations. Some segments lack the polish and imaginative flair that could have elevated them, resulting in a final product that, while competent, doesn’t fully capitalize on its potential.

Milton Subotsky, co-founder of Amicus Productions, was instrumental in shaping the company’s horror anthology format. His vision for From Beyond the Grave is evident in the film’s structure and style. Subotsky’s influence ensures that each story adheres to a tight, episodic format, with a clear beginning, middle, and end.

Subotsky’s preference for blending supernatural horror with psychological elements is also apparent. The stories often explore themes of guilt, retribution, and the consequences of one’s actions, aligning with Subotsky’s penchant for morality tales. However, this approach can sometimes lead to predictable plot twists and moralistic conclusions, reducing the overall impact of the horror elements.

While Subotsky’s vision brings coherence to the film, it also reveals some of its limitations. The anthology format, while effective in providing variety, can feel repetitive when each story follows a similar moralistic pattern. This repetition diminishes the sense of surprise and suspense, key components of effective horror.

The Prognosis:

From Beyond the Grave (1974) is a solid but unremarkable entry in the horror anthology subgenre. It showcases the strengths of Amicus Productions, including effective production work and strong performances, particularly from Peter Cushing. However, the film’s impact is diluted by uneven storytelling and predictable narrative structures. Milton Subotsky’s vision provides coherence and thematic consistency, but it also imposes limitations that prevent the film from achieving the lasting impact of more innovative horror anthologies. For fans of classic horror and anthology films, From Beyond the Grave offers a competent, if not exceptional, viewing experience.

  • Saul Muerte

R.I.P. David Warner

27 Wednesday Jul 2022

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It’s been a while since I’ve been compelled to comment on the passing of cinemas’ greats, but upon learning of David Warner’s departure from this world, I was moved to write a few words about this great icon of the celluloid screen.

For me, my first encounter with the actor would be on the small screen, possibly on a copied VHS, for the film TRON in his triple credited performance as Ed Dillinger / Sark/ Master Control Programmer. The latter’s monotonous and sinister tones still resonate today such was the impact of Warner’s vocal performance.

Of course, as my movie experience enveloped, and with it my fascination with the horror genre, I grew to learn of his more infamous roles that took place beforehand. This is not to forget his involvement in the controversial Sam Peckinpah flick Straw Dogs which saw him take on the role of ‘a mentally deficient man’, Henry Niles and the shaky-yet-morally integral platform that Dustin Hoffman’s David Sumner chooses to stand upon to defend his cause.

With a couple of years away from the role that would cement his place in horror history though came a notable turn for Amicus Productions’ anthology film, From Beyond The Grave in the segment called The Gatecrasher. Here, Warner plays Edward Charlton, a man who buys an antique mirror, holds a seance, and then goes on a killing frenzy… as you do, before succumbing to the true horror.

It is of course in 1976 when Warner made his mark as the doomed photographer, Jennings in The Omen. His captured images foretelling the deaths of characters including his own now iconic one, The death scene may be the most memorable part to his character, but the role of Jennings was a grounded and necessary part of the revelations in juxtaposition to Gregory Peck’s Robert Thorn. It is Warner’s ability to instill a sense of integrity that makes the shock of his demise all the more harrowing.

There would be some notable non-horror roles in the mix, but once again he would show another side to his on-screen presence as Dr. Alfred Necessiter in The Man With Two Brains to show his knack for maniacal comedy.

Warner would even don one of horror’s most iconic characters in the Creature from a tv adaptation of Frankenstein, before appearing as the father character in Neil Jordan’s The Company of Wolves. By the late 80s’ he would appear alongside Zach Galligan (who was hot following Gremlins) in Waxwork.

Such was Warner’s presence on screen that it wouldn’t take to long for him to be called upon in successful franchises such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Secret of the Ooze, Tales From The Crypt, Star Trek: Next Generation, and Twin Peaks, 

It would be in the mid 90s when he would work for the first time with John Carpenter in Body Bags that would lead on to his cameo as Dr. Wrenn in In the Mouth of Madness, one of Carpenter’s lesser known masterpieces. He would also cameo for Craven as drama teacher Gus Gold in Scream 2; the same year he would play villainous character, Spicer Lovejoy for a certain James Cameron movie about a doomed cruise ship. You may have heard of it.

There would be further notable twists and turns through his career, and I’m a doing a disservice to his talents here to skip through them with ease, but will address that his turn as Professor Abraham Van Helsing in Penny Dreadful and Professor Cavanaugh were worthy additions to the genre.

It is without doubt that David Warner had an immense impact on film and tv across all mediums. For this writer, he will be always remembered. A true performer in every sense of the word who brought all his characters to life with great rectitude and credibility.

R.I.P. David Warner

  • Saul Muerte

Podcast: Season 7 Ep 15: John Carpenter’s In The Mouth of Madness

28 Monday Sep 2020

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“Do you read Sutter Cane?”

This episode looks at John Carpenter’s In The Mouth of Madness starring Sam Neill, a film that was considered a box office failure but went on to receive cult status.

Does it deserve high praise?

The Surgeons team dissect and discuss the movie to find out. Check out our thoughts in the ep below.

https://player.whooshkaa.com/episode?id=738384

Retrospective: The Island (1980)

13 Saturday Jun 2020

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Forty years ago following the highly successful Jaws and to some degree The Deep, Hollywood was still keen to tap into the mind of their creator, Peter Benchley and create more scares from the ocean. Fortunately Benchely had not long produced a novel called The Island. 

Starring Michael Caine still riding high from the fame that film success brought during the 60s and 70s, and David Warner, who equally had shown his acting chops through Straw Dogs, The Omen, and Cross of Iron, which detailed the strength on display in the cast.
The concept would show Caine as a journalist, Blair Maynard, who gets a scoop on some boats that have disappeared in the Bermuda Triangle, and is lured by the mythology surrounding it. Maynard is a workaholic with his eyes on getting the latest newsworthy revelation. He also happens to be divorced with split custody of his son, Justin and decides to drag him along with him despite false promises of taking him to Disney World. He gets more than he bargained for however, when his plane not only crash lands on a remote island, but also he is commandeered while on his fishing boat by a hoard of pirates. It’s here that the movie takes a notable shift in tone and becomes a story of survival as Maynard tries to escape his captors, but also rescue his son who has been subjected to their ways as a means to lure him into their tribe. 

Upon its release however, The Island sank heavily at the box office and caused film critic Leonard Maltin to cast his lowest rating, a BOMB, on the film, and bagging both director Michael Ritchie, and Michael Caine with Raspberry nominations for their contribution.

So, what went wrong? Was it a case of misdirection? Misinterpretation?

Or just a plain misfire?

The first thing that struck me upon revisiting this film was that the plotline was incredibly messy, and there were too many themes at play that by the time it settles on the island in question, we’re beyond caring too much about the plight of Maynard and Son. It comes across as an incredibly convoluted dream jumping from hard-hitting news theory with a mystical twist into a family drama and then into survival horror.

The father son relationship feels forced too and doesn’t ever gel, which is partly down to the set up, as they are supposed to be estranged. The issue is that the script needed to offer a kernel of a connection for us to want them to be brought together throughout their turmoil. Justin’s leap into the arms of Warner’s island leader, Nau, is all too quick and with it any strip of humanity is buried, even when into the film’s conclusion.

It’s fair to say that this isn’t Caine’s finest moment either, casting his Maynard as a cross between Charlie Croker and Harry Palmer, which doesn’t work and leaves the character either too cold or jovial in the wrong places.

It’s not clear the tone that Ritchie was going for as there are moments that it could go dark, but he’s also striving for that sense of adventure and the danger that comes with it, and in doing so ends up a little lost at sea which probably accounts for why this film has been forgotten over time.

  • Saul Muerte